Three Halloweens In A Year

I love Halloween. I mean, costumes and candies, what’s not to love. It makes it extra fun that I have a toddler I can dress up and then use an excuse to get candy from people. I started thinking about Liam’s costume on September but never really decided on anything cause I didn’t know where to order and whether my order will arrive on time. It’s one of the complications of having things shipped to a FPOAP address. Mail can take a week to over six months to get here.

I was gonna order a costume on Etsy but since sister was coming here, I had my mom recreate the costume instead. It’s tricky picking out a costume for a toddler. You never know whether he’ll actually wear it so as much as possible you wouldn’t want to spend too much on it. Also, chances are they’re only gonna wear it once anyway.

Last year, Halloween was just one day. People on base take Halloween seriously. Some decorate their houses with inflated cats and spiders, others set up pranks to scare trick or treaters. It’s just one big production. This year though, since Halloween falls on a monday, several things were organized.

Friday, MWR organized an event for the kiddos where they’ll be able to walk through a trail and have candy handed out to them by characters they’ll meet along the way. It was designed specifically for kids under 6 years old so it was perfect for Liam. They even had a pumpkin patch set up where families can take pictures, craft stations, carnival games and a movie screening.

We went a little late last time they had the event so this year, I was determined to be early this time. It helped that I had to pick something up at the post office before it closed that day. We got there at exactly 4 o’clock when the event was suppose to start but as we were looking for an available parking space, we saw that everyone else who were arriving were in costumes. I didn’t put Liam in a costume cause last time we went not a lot came dressed up. I assumed that it’ll be just like last time, that’s why I didn’t bother. Because of the whole costume issue, we had to drive back home to get Liam changed. I didn’t have the costume my mom made prepared yet so we had to improvise. I put him in one of his old pajamas that could pass as a costume. Good thing it still fit. Well, it made do.

Liam and his improvised costume at the MWR pupmkin patchLiam at the MWR pumpkin patch. Yes, that’s his onesie showing cause his costume couldn’t be fastened from the bottom anymore.

Photo from last year when his cow pajamas still fit him properly.

There wasn’t much activities that Liam could participate in. We only stayed long enough to go through the candy route and take pictures at the pumpkin patch. There was such a long line at the bounce house and the other carnival booths that we didn’t even bother cause Liam wouldn’t stay patient enough to wait for his turn.

Saturday, the families of the husband’s command organized a trunk or treat event. We went to that one too. It was right beside the commissary and we needed to do groceries. It was very convenient. Liam didn’t enjoy the Friday event that much because most of it was too scary for him. Not really. He just got really scared of the people in mask walking around in the dark. This trunk or treat though he did. Most of the trunks weren’t decorated scary, they were very appealing to the younger kids and since we went early there was still light out so even the spider decorations didn’t scare him. He did actually did well. He was able to grasp the concept. He would walk from one candy station to another with his bucket asking people for candy.

He wore the costume my mom made for him. Sister and I stuffed it earlier with some of the old throw pillows we had. Everyone loved his costume. He was so adorable.

I bought him a monkey costume a fews ago as an alternative costume just in case he didn’t find the ball costume uncomfortable. It quickly backfired on me cause he ended up not wanting to wear the monkey costume at all. Instead of wearing different costumes to each event we were going to, he ended up wearing the ball costume again for the actual trick or treating on Halloween Day.

Sister and I bought costumes last minute. It was a complete accident.We weren’t planning on wearing costumes but they were on sale and they seemed too perfect for us to pass on. If Liam had only worn his monkey costume we could have been Mario Kart characters. Oh well… It just wasn’t meant to be.

I don’t know whether it’s because we had two practice runs before today but Liam did well for his “real” first trick or treating experience. He walked from house to house, waited patiently in line for his turn to get candy, he held out his bucket to ask for candy, he took only one piece from each house, he thank people. He was awesome. He just got a little cranky towards the end cause he was already tired. No matter how tired he was though, he didn’t ask us to carry him while going house to house.

We went home right away when he was already not having any of it. He was too tired to even enjoy his loot. He was only interested in a lollipop anyway. All in all, it was a great Halloween. I can’t wait for next year when the husband will be able to celebrate with us. I’m already thinking about our possible costumes. 🙂